1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of communications systems, and more particularly in one exemplary aspect to wireless apparatus and methods that allow user equipment to authenticate to wireless networks (e.g., cellular networks, WLANs, WMANs, etc.) using access control clients.
2. Description of Related Technology
Access control is required for secure communication in most prior art wireless radio communication systems. As an example, one simple access control scheme might comprise: (i) verifying the identity of a communicating party, and (ii) granting a level of access commensurate with the verified identity. Within the context of a typical wireless system (e.g., a cellular system such as the well known Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)), access control is governed by an access control entity or client, referred to as a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) (or more generally referred to as a “SIM”), executing on a physical Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC). The USIM authenticates the subscriber to the UMTS cellular network. After successful authentication, the subscriber is allowed access to the cellular network.
When a SIM card is manufactured, the SIM card is programmed with carrier-specific authentication information that restricts the use of that SIM card to a particular carrier. If a user wishes to change services from the existing carrier to a new carrier, the user needs to replace their SIM card with a new SIM card programmed in a similar way, but for the different carrier.
However, existing SIM solutions have multiple weaknesses and shortcomings. For example, the SIM software is hard-coded to the physical SIM card media; consequently, subscribers need new SIM cards to change SIM operation (and thereby change carriers). In short, the SIM card ties the user account to the carrier network, and not the mobile device itself.
For example, when a subscriber travels to a new service area, the subscriber must often choose between paying high roaming fees, or purchasing a new SIM card. Similarly, for users that change between billing accounts (e.g., sharing a phone for work and personal use, etc.), the user must constantly switch between SIM cards. Some devices have attempted to address this issue by providing multiple card receptacles, so as to enable multiple SIM cards. However, these “multi-card” solutions are undesirable, as additional SIM card receptacles take significant area, and do not address the root inflexibility, of SIM card accounts.
Moreover, as described in greater detail hereinafter, prior art solutions that tie a user account to a network with a SIM card are inadequate for some distribution schemes. For example, prior art distribution schemes cannot assign a SIM to a device without a user account. Similarly, once a SIM card is assigned to a user account and a network, that relationship is permanent. This effectively “locks” a user to a network, which limits user flexibility.
Thus, improved solutions are required for providing user with ability to obtain (e.g., purchase) and manage user accounts. Such improved solutions should ideally support delivery of a new or different user account to a device throughout its lifecycle (e.g., at manufacture, at sale, after deployment, etc.), without also requiring a new SIM card.